STIGQter: STIG Summary: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide Version: 2 Release: 9 Benchmark Date: 01 Jul 2026:

RHEL 9 cryptographic policy must not be overridden.

DISA Rule

SV-258236r1101920_rule

Vulnerability Number

V-258236

Group Title

SRG-OS-000396-GPOS-00176

Rule Version

RHEL-09-672020

Severity

CAT I

CCI(s)

CCI-002450 - Implement organization-defined types of cryptography for each specified cryptography use.
CCI-002890 - Implement organization-defined cryptographic mechanisms to protect the integrity of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications.
CCI-003123 - Implement organization-defined cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications.

Weight

Fix Recommendation

Configure RHEL 9 to correctly implement the systemwide cryptographic policies by reinstalling the crypto-policies package contents.

Reinstall crypto-policies with the following command:

$ sudo dnf -y reinstall crypto-policies

Set the crypto-policy to FIPS with the following command:

$ sudo update-crypto-policies --set FIPS

Setting system policy to FIPS

Note: Systemwide crypto policies are applied on application startup. It is recommended to restart the system for the change of policies to fully take place.

Check Contents

Verify that RHEL 9 cryptographic policies are not overridden.

Verify that the configured policy matches the generated policy with the following command:

$ sudo update-crypto-policies --check

The configured policy matches the generated policy

If the returned message does not match the above, but instead matches the following, this is a finding:

The configured policy does NOT match the generated policy

List all of the crypto backends configured on the system with the following command:

$ ls -l /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/

lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 40 Nov 13 16:29 bind.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/bind.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 42 Nov 13 16:29 gnutls.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/gnutls.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 40 Nov 13 16:29 java.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/java.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 46 Nov 13 16:29 javasystem.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/javasystem.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 40 Nov 13 16:29 krb5.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/krb5.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 45 Nov 13 16:29 libreswan.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/libreswan.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 42 Nov 13 16:29 libssh.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/libssh.txt
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 398 Nov 13 16:29 nss.config
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 43 Nov 13 16:29 openssh.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/openssh.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 49 Nov 13 16:29 opensshserver.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/opensshserver.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 46 Nov 13 16:29 opensslcnf.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/opensslcnf.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 43 Nov 13 16:29 openssl.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/openssl.txt
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 48 Nov 13 16:29 openssl_fips.config -> /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS/openssl_fips.txt

If the paths do not point to the respective files under /usr/share/crypto-policies/FIPS path, this is a finding.

Note: nss.config should not be symlinked.

Note: If there is an operational need to use a subpolicy that causes the links to the crypto backends to break, this is a finding, and exceptions will need to be made by the authorizing official (AO) and documented with the information system security officer (ISSO).

Vulnerability Number

V-258236

Documentable

False

Rule Version

RHEL-09-672020

Severity Override Guidance

Check Content Reference

Target Key

5551